The river for a brief distance ran smoothly with only enough current, about two miles an hour, to help us along without hard rowing.
I missed the Major while we were on the water, probably more than any one else in the party, for as we were facing each other the whole time and were not separated enough to interfere with conversation we had frequent talks.

He sometimes described incidents which happened on the first voyage, or told me something about the men of that famous and unrivalled journey.

Besides this he was very apt to sing, especially where the river was not turbulent and the outlook was tranquil, some favourite song, and these songs greatly interested me.

While he had no fine voice he sang from his heart, and the songs were those he had learned at home singing with his brothers and sisters.

One of these was an old-fashioned hymn, _The Home of the Soul_, or rather the first two verses of it.